Damage to DNA can arise through covalent modification of bases by reaction with oxidants and products of lipid peroxidation derived through normal aerobic metabolism. Such premutagenic lesions, including 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dG), pyrimido[1,2alpha]purine-10(3H)one-2'-deoxyribose (M1-dG), etheno-2'-deoxyadenosine (epsilon-dA), and etheno-2'-deoxycytidine (epsilon-dC), are believed to be important in the development of human cancers related to diet, disease states, and lifestyle. We report the development of a method for concurrent quantification of these four adducts in DNA hydrolysates of 100 microg or less using on-line sample preparation coupled with liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The sensitive detection permitted adduct quantification at levels below one adduct in 10(8) normal nucleotides and measurement of these adducts in DNA from untreated rodent liver and normal human liver samples. This methodology should prove useful in hypothesis-driven studies of cancer etiology in laboratory animals and humans.